One of the more amazing things I find myself discussing from time to time is that organizations seem to take on a life of their own. Even when I “drop in” many years later I find very little has changed.

As I “drop in” to chapters of The FENG around the country, one of my goals is to find out how our “character” is developing. It is hard to believe that our organization has so many common elements around the country, but it does.

In the beginning, I signed my 3-4 page newsletter to my friends in the original chapter “Regards, Matt.” Hey, they really were my friends, and I knew many of them quite well. Old habits die hard, and I never stopped. I find that most members sign messages to the group and to each other in exactly the same way. I hope this never stops. I don’t know why it should since we are now much more than a small gathering of friends around a conference room table at the Westport Library and this is one of our many folkways.

I have continued to do this because I don’t want members to think of The FENG as an “organization,” but rather as a circle of friends. Better yet, as a circle of THEIR friends. As you know, a stranger is only a friend you haven’t met.

I like to think that a good portion of the “character” of The FENG comes from the fact that we are an army of volunteers. Members who take leadership positions do so because the “want to” and not for the dollar compensation. The rewards are significant, but they are of a different form.

As each of us prepares to “hang on” through this period of our lives called middle age, I would ask you to “do what you can do” to help your fellow members.

Sure, all of them are “characters,” but that is what The FENG is all about.

It is first and foremost a collection of characters. I believe that all of them worthy of your support and assistance. As with most things in life, you will get out of it only what you put in.